A Must-Try before or after Your Walk! 5 Popular Gourmet Spots for Mt. Takao’s Tororo Soba

Founded in 1836, in the late Edo period.
Among the long-established eateries around Mt. Takao, Takaosan Takahashiya stands out with a particularly strong presence.
It is located on the main approach to Head Temple Takao-san Yakuo-in, in an easy-to-find spot right in front of Kiyotaki Cable Car Station.

Takahashiya’s house-made soba is kneaded with buckwheat flour, grated yam, and joshinko (non-glutinous rice flour), then finished into thin noodles with a great bite and smooth slurp.
Its signature dish is “Tororo Soba,” made with two types of yam: nagaimo and yamatoimo.
The tororo is served in a separate bowl, mixed with a quail egg and tonburi (a tiny, bead-like garnish with a pleasant pop), then added to the soba as you eat.
The sauce is slightly sweet, made by adding soy sauce to carefully prepared dashi drawn from several kinds of fish, such as bonito and mackerel flakes.
It pairs perfectly with the thin noodles, delivering an irresistibly delicate flavor.

Each table comes with condiments to deepen the soba experience even further.
A canister holds nori, and you will also find wasabi and shichimi chili pepper.
Add what you like, change up the flavor as you go, and enjoy every last bite.

Another must-try here is tsumamimono, small bites meant to pair well with drinks.
You will find a full line-up of classics like thick omelette, smoked duck, and grilled miso.
For chilled sake, the menu includes local selections such as “Kuwano Miyako” from Hachioji and “Takaosan” from Akiruno City.

Takahashiya is famous as a tororo soba restaurant, but it also offers a one-of-a-kind sight you can see only here.
A 150-year-old persimmon tree passes through the ceiling and stretches upward toward the sky.
Shide (Shinto paper streamers) are wrapped around its trunk, and it is beloved by visitors as if it were the shop’s sacred tree.

Sakaechaya has been serving guests at the foot of Mt. Takao since the early 1930s.
This soba shop sits along the main approach to Head Temple Takao-san Yakuo-in, which leads toward Kiyotaki Cable Car Station.

Its signature dish is “Jinenjo Soba,” made with plenty of domestically produced jinenjo (wild yam).
Jinenjo is one of the few vegetables native to Japan and stands out for its exceptional stickiness among all yams.
For generations, it has been prized as an energy-boosting food and long known as the king of mountain vegetables.
At Sakaechaya, the tororo is made by grating jinenjo with the skin on, allowing you to fully enjoy its earthy aroma.
To eat “Jinenjo Soba,” the key is to mix the tororo thoroughly with the shop’s special sweet sauce, coat the noodles well, and whisk it until it turns lightly frothy.
With the first slurp, a curious airy texture and the deep umami of jinenjo fill your mouth.

After you finish the noodles, it is recommended to pour the remaining jinenjo sauce over barley rice and enjoy it as tororo rice.
The fluffy tororo blends with the umami of dashi, then turns richer and deeper as it coats the barley rice.
It is a delicious second finish that keeps the enjoyment going even after the soba.

Here you can also try one of Mt. Takao’s specialties: “Tengu’s Earlobe,” meaning kikurage (wood ear mushroom).
Thick, springy domestic kikurage works beautifully in stir-fries, tempura, and even as a topping for soba.
A recommended sake pairing with “Tengu’s Earlobe” is “Motomi.”
It is a proud local bottle from Ozawa Shuzo, a brewery located in Hachioji City, home to Mt. Takao.
Named after the previous president, this standout is neither too sweet nor too dry, and it brings out the flavors of soba and tempura even more.

Mt. Takao Sumika is located just steps from Takaosan Cable Car “Takaosan” Station.
This facility sells Mt. Takao favorites like Tenguyaki as well as a range of souvenirs, and it also includes a soba shop where you can enjoy freshly made noodles at any time.
With its modern, natural feel, the interior is a soothing space that gently eases post-hike fatigue.
From the second-floor seating, you can take in sweeping views of Hachioji’s cityscape and the mountains of Okutama.

At the soba shop in Mt. Takao Sumika, the standout feature is the carefully crafted house-made noodles.
Each morning, the soba dough is made from flour, and the noodles are finished after you order, which brings out their satisfying firmness and smooth slurp even more.
According to the manager, “If you want to really taste the soba’s aroma, cold soba is recommended.”
Another appeal is the seasonal variety, with options such as meat soba in summer and curry nanban soba in winter.
With freshly made soba and a space so calming that you will want to take a deep breath, unwind, and recover after your hike at your own pace.

One especially popular side item is the handmade kakiage.
Made with plenty of vegetables, shrimp, and scallops, the kakiage is fried after you order, so you can enjoy a crisp texture.
Having both fresh-fried kakiage and freshly made soba any time is a special kind of indulgence that only Mt. Takao Sumika can offer.

Juichichome Chaya is a mid-mountain teahouse founded in 1899.
It is located about a 1-minute walk from Takaosan Cable Car “Takaosan” Station, along the path that continues toward the summit.
The name Juichichome Chaya comes from the Edo-period unit cho (about 109 meters).
Because it sits at the 11th cho marker counted from Head Temple Takao-san Yakuo-in, hikers affectionately called it “Juichichome-san,” which became the shop name.
Out front, two types of dango-sweet dango and grilled dango-tempt you with their toasty aroma.
It is a popular spot that often has a line at lunchtime.
One reason is surely the spectacular view from the terrace seats.
With a terrace that looks out toward Yokohama, on clear days you can even spot Yokohama Landmark Tower.
Another appeal is the warm, family-run atmosphere and the friendly, smiling hospitality you will find here.

The signature soba here is “Tororo Sansai Soba,” Mt. Takao’s tororo soba topped with mountain vegetables.
It comes generously topped with ingredients like mushrooms and warabi (bracken), letting you enjoy them together with tororo and soba.
The tororo in particular is outstanding and remarkably smooth.
That silky texture comes from grating everything by hand rather than using machines.
They reportedly grate more than 40 yams a day, carefully working through them one by one.
The finely textured tororo helps highlight the soba’s deliciousness.

Side dishes include oden, assorted mountain vegetables, and fukinoto (butterbur sprouts).
The popular “miso oden” features an original miso sauce.
It is sweet yet refreshed by a hint of ginger, helping blow away mountain fatigue.

Next to the teahouse is a lively souvenir shop.
From Mt. Takao pickles and sake to crafts, you will find a wide selection.
You can also buy items like konnyaku kikurage (konnyaku with wood ear mushroom) and tengu-themed goods here.
It is worth checking before you head down the mountain.

From Takaosan Cable Car “Takaosan” Station, it is about a 50-minute walk at a relaxed pace.
After passing spots such as Head Temple Takao-san Yakuo-in along the way, you finally reach the summit.
After a satisfying climb, a meal at the top is the perfect reward.
There are three eateries at the summit of Mt. Takao, and the one closest to the top is Akebonotei.
Located next to the Takao Visitor Center, it is a popular spot that often draws lines at lunchtime.
With 40 seats inside, it is divided into “indoor soba” for eating inside and “outdoor soba” for eating outside.
If you want to take your time, “indoor soba” is recommended, and if you want to feel the outdoors, “outdoor soba” is the better choice.
Service for “outdoor soba” is fast, and your noodles are served with little wait.
In addition, every menu item at Akebonotei can be eaten outside near the summit.
Being able to enjoy soba in your favorite spot is another great perk.

Popular choices include Mt. Takao specialties like “Sansai Soba” and “Tororo Soba.”
The soba is rustic and irregularly cut, with very thick noodles.
Every menu item is generously portioned, making for a hearty and filling meal.
“Sansai Soba” is especially known for its abundant toppings, including hime takenoko (small bamboo shoots), warabi (bracken), and mushrooms.
The excellent harmony of soba, dashi, and mountain vegetables creates a soothing flavor that comforts both body and mind after hiking.
You can also order extra noodles or an extra-large portion, so you are sure to leave satisfied.

Side dishes include assorted mountain vegetables, miso dengaku, and oden.
The most popular item is a hearty oden with five different ingredients, such as kelp, tube-shaped fish cake, and fried fish cake.
With a solid selection of alcoholic drinks as well, it is also recommended for a celebratory toast to reaching the summit.